December 6
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
TEXT: Charles Wesley
b. December 18, 1707, Epworth, England
d. March 29, 1788, London
The first line of Charles Wesley’s poem reads, “Hark! How all the welkin rings, glory to the King of kings.” Welkin is an Old English word that means, “the vault of the sky” or “heaven.”20 It exclaims that all of heaven rings glory! A friend of the Wesleys, the famous reformed evangelist George Whitefield, took the liberty of publishing Wesley’s carol, changing the words to proclaim who sings glory. “Hark! the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn King.” Wesley was furious with his friend! He did not mind others copying his poetry, but he did not like them changing the words. Although Wesley himself never would sing the changed words, these are the ones that gained popularity the world over.
TUNE: Felix Mendelssohn
b. February 3, 1809, Hamburg, Germany
d. November 4, 1847, Leipzig, Germany
Mendelssohn, a famous composer of the nineteenth century, was born into a wealthy Jewish family in Berlin, Germany, and later converted to Christianity. Some of his best-known works include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Elijah. A significant contribution he made to Western culture was the revival of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, which was mostly unknown a hundred years after that composer’s death. In 1840, Mendelssohn wrote this tune as a tribute to Johann Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. He expected that although its melody would be loved by singers, it would never do for sacred words; however, one of his singers, William H. Cummings, found that the tune perfectly fit Wesley’s words. Neither the hymn writer, Wesley, nor the composer, Mendelssohn, ever knew their creative works were combined into this beloved carol. The tune’s name is MENDELSSOHN.
As you sing this hymn … you are a “herald,” announcing the most important event in history: the very God of heaven has come to earth to save us! You may picture long, gleaming herald trumpets used in fanfares. The fanfare here is the refrain, “Hark! [Listen attentively!] The herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn King!’” As you sing, you become a preacher of the good news of the gospel.
This popular Christmas carol is often sung by both believing and nonbelieving soloists and choirs. Unfortunately, few stop to think of the significance and power in such phrases as “veiled in flesh the Godhead see,” “incarnate Deity,” “born to give them second birth,” or “God and sinners reconciled.” It is easy to travel on the friendly path of a familiar melody and fail to concentrate on the words.
As is characteristic of the hymns of Charles Wesley, every phrase is packed with theology and allusions to or quotations of Scripture. The following list of verses are found in this carol: Luke 2:10–14; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Revelation 15:4; Hebrews 1:6; Matthew 1:21–23; John 1:1; Philippians 2:7; Isaiah 9:6; Malachi 4:2; and 1 Peter 1:3. Reading each one before you sing will give you a deeper appreciation of songs written from Scripture rather than simply from personal experience or emotions. This song is saturated with the gospel message, and you will gain an overview of how that message is found throughout the Bible.